Acupuncture protected cerebral multi-infarction rats from memory impairment by regulating the expression of apoptosis related genes Bcl-2 and Bax in hippocampus.
Vascular dementia (VaD) is the second most common cause of dementia in the world today. In this paper, we observed the effect of acupuncture on memory impairment, apoptosis and expression of Bcl-2 and Bax in hippocampus of cerebral multi-infarction rats. The results indicated that acupuncture significantly improved memory impairment induced by cerebral multi-infarction, as evaluated by shortened escape latency and increased swimming time in the target quadrant. Meanwhile, based on the observation in hippocampal CA1 region through methods of the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase nick end labeling (TUNEL), immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization, acupuncture decreased the number of apoptotic cells and expression of the proapoptotic Bax gene, on the contrary, it increased expression of the antiapoptotic gene Bcl-2. The result of the research suggested that acupuncture can exert antiapoptotic effect through counter-regulating Bcl-2 and Bax gene expression.
Wang
Tong
T
Molecular Biology Laboratory, Acupuncture and Moxibustion Research Institute, the First Hospital affiliated to Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin 300193, China.
Liu
Cun-Zhi
CZ
Yu
Jian-Chun
JC
Jiang
Wen
W
Han
Jing-Xian
JX
D026881:Acupuncture / Q000379:methods*; D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000502:physiology; D001522:Behavior, Animal; D002544:Cerebral Infarction / Q000150:complications; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000502:physiology*; D020287:In Situ Nick-End Labeling / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D018782:Maze Learning / Q000502:physiology; D008569:Memory Disorders / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein